Sometimes in July WCRB broadcasted something life from Tanglewood and in the break they after running the normal commercial they played a fragment from James Levine leading BSO with Mussorgsky-Ravel’s “Pictures…”. It was Promenade 3 and it was not just good but it was fantastic! It is know that I am not big fun of the orchestrated “Pictures…” but what Levine did was so different then it really took my attention. I was recorded that WCRB broadcast and frankly the fragment of the “Pictures…” during the break was much more interest that the BSO concert that day. I called to WCRB and they told that it was this own receding, not available commercially.

Anyhow, James Levine look like is returning from his “health vacation” to conduct the opening nigh of the 2008-2009 season with an exciting Russian program:

The “Pictures…” are there and it might be very interesting, particularly in context of what I heard during the “Bydlo” fragment of the third Promenade. The “Bydlo” is my absolutely favorite part in “Pictures…” and Levine did it very interning. People play “Bydlo” ether overly slow and monumental or fast and “overly-exciting”. What herd at that recording from Levine and BSO had that “wow” effect. It was fast, exciting but Wgner-like massive at the same time. Also, Levine moved up front some sections that I never heard before - it was not just the Bruckner-like tubas pumping the pressure it was more with some freakish and “different” intermingling between the small instruments, and that all “worked” right alone and very purposefully. I was listening that recording perhaps a dozen times and I absolutely loved it. Well, let see in 3 weeks if it was a lucky accident of just the James Levine new reading.

The WCRB will most likely broadcast it live and the WGBH will broadcast the concert Live-to-Tape in the coming Sunday September 28:

The concert was ridicules in a way. It stated early. The fist past was Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila Overture. The Overture was a nightmare. The dull and boring orchestra was juts rendering notes, half of the notes were juts openly wrong, there was very badly made phasing and accents, all woodwind sections were juts 5 light miles away from anybody else – the BSO just juts was not able to play together. It is a pure cacophony, the nightmare worth for a high school orchestra. Then there was the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin. It was sung by Russian Maija Kovalevska in her BSO debut – it was another nightmare. The BSO was flooding over Ms. Kovalevska without any regards what she sings. The orchestra screwed up anything imaginable, the Tchaikovsky's brilliant string-woodwind moves were played with sensibly of rap music. Ms. Kovalevska was not much better. I true do not get her diction. The stunning Pushkin poetry sound from Maija like Dostoenvsky’s prose – I truly did not get it. I was literally ready to go as to last the last piece – the orchestrated “Pictures at an Exhibition” would not be possible with this level of play.

I would leave if then have a break but they did not. After a few minutes when more musicians come to the stage the BSO’ trumpetist was already playing the celebrated opening thyme of the Pictures. I closed my eyes as I know BSO very well as I know where BSO dreaded cupper sand woodwinds would screw up. In a few minutes I opened my eyes completely astonished – the BSO played fanatically good. It was like absolutely different orchestra - well balanced, very well played together, with very high capacity to do “complex thighs”- I literary did not believe how good they suddenly turned to sound. I whispered to a friend of my asking him: “What the hell going on. Where the BSO suddenly got THAT sound?” The friend of my replied: “Romy, you would not believe – they just changed the leads of most of BSO’s groups.” I do not know if it is true, I did not pay attention if the musicians were changed but regardless, it was WAY different sound.

With the BSO’s Sound and capacity to play the James Levine’s reading begin to shine. It was all together not the best Pictures at an Exhibition that I heard but it was very-very good Pictures at an Exhibition. Some of the moments were just extraordinary. My favorite “Bydlo” fragment Levine mane so stunning that I almost flew away from the balcony. It was not powerful all the way but it was soft sand genital opening with blossoming of full orchestral power as the Bydlo progresses. It was juts amassing and I would love to have it recorded.

On Sunday the WGBH will broadcast it live-to-tape. I bell my tuners and my recorded will be on… welcome back James Levine, it was good return. I have no idea what kind experiments you did with Glinka and Tchaikovsky but I hope you will not be doing it in two weeks during BSO play of Mahler’s VI

If you like the Nanut’s Mahler 6 then you must hear what BSO did last night. Levin lead BSO Boston Symphony over 3 days Mahler 6 concert. I am going to the last one that will be on Tuesday but yesterday I decided to listen and to record a live FM broadcast. I thought I heard them all, holy cow!

I turned the recorders and went to do something else. I was not impressed with BSO opening but they were warming up and in the end of first movement I was glued in front of the speakers. The BSO was suddenly playing like a mad dog that runs away from his chin. I did not expect that at all. In Mahler 6 you need killer bras and cupper section – BSO never had it. However, last night BSO show off not only the amassing bras/cupper but the entire orchestra sound so much different then usually. Suddenly BSO had tone and aptitude to USE the tone. Suddenly BSO got balls to play with balls and with great enthusiasm and eagerness. The BSO squirted out itself the Mahler’ music and it was so natural as it always was living there. The last 3 movement was like nothing else. I was listening the broadcast and I was clearly realizing that I was experiencing a truly historical play of the Mahler 6.

This morning I decided to re-listen the fist movement again and… you know I like it much more then last night. I can wait to hear them live on Tuesday. I know the “magic” usually does not happens twice but I still hope…

Then do not miss the live-to tape WGBH 89.7 broadcast on Sunday Oct. 26, 3pm James Levine leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Gustav Mahler #6. They might do something very interesting and combine different movements from 3 concerts that they played. If you are lucky then they broadcast the Saturday performance and you might get an amassing spectacle from BSO. The play like this happens ones in many seasons…

I was listening the Friday’s live broadcast over internet from my work and I truly hated. The BSO was lead by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos with Tanglewood Festival Chorus and PALS Children's Chorus. When I got home I was lightening the life FM recording that I scheduled and I got softer on what BSO did. It was kind of strangely slow and strangely “gray” but listening the full range recording and here how “low” the orchestra was tunes the Frühbeck de Burgos tempo was more justifiable. It still was boring reading but not as complete waste as it was over internet.

Today I when to here it live. It was strange. BSO played well; they demonstrated that they are good professionals that can play without any serious conducting. I so not like the Frühbeck de Burgos reading. The BSO render score well but it was very unexciting music and Frühbeck de Burgos did nothing to change anything. The great Tanglewood Chorus sounded dull with boring-accented made recititives. The only interesting character on stage was baritone Christian Gerhaher. Then as the work progressed BSO and Tanglewood Chorus got broken in. and the end of the work was slightly better, in fact partially even very good.

What however bothered me tremendously is that the whole sound of BSO got MUCH worth for the last month. I have already complained into my FM station that this live broadcasts started to sound like crap making BSO to sound anti-abrasive and very flat but for the last month each concert I attend in Symphony Hole I experience the very same boorishly- anti-porcupine sound. The last time what it was good – full-colorful and full of texture it was under James Levine one month ago. Since then everything when south.

The last week Ozawa returned in Boston after 6 years of thanks God escape from BSO. He played Olivier Messiaen "Trois Petites Liturgies de la Presence Divine" and Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique". I am not a highe Ozawa fun but I have to admit the BSO played Symphonie Fantastique rather fine. I also have to admit that I do not particularly care about the Symphonie Fantastique as the work – I never developed any worked feeling to this composition.

The Messiaen’s "… Presence Divine" I head for a first time and it was absolutely stunning. The BSO, the Ozawa, the women of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus it was absolutely wonderful. I love, I love, I love it! The first part of the concert was an absolute treat!

BTW, to be a bad boy… Talking with a local guy about the concert he told me a story that made me laugh very hard. When Takashi Asahina dies in 2001 a French newspaper published an obituary to the famed conductor. In this obituary they accidently used the picture of… Seiji Ozawa is of Takashi Asahina. I sorry to say it but I feel it is as funny as could be…. Here is Takashi Asahina and below is the obituary:

"Highlights include complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle, Strauss's Four Last Songs with Renée Fleming, Mendelsshohn's "Elihah," Mahler's Fourth and Seventh Symphonies, and Premieres by Carter, Harbison, Lieverson and John Williams.

BSO Music Director James Levine leads fourteen programs in the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2009-10 season—the orchestra’s 129th season and Maestro Levine’s sixth as music director—which begins with a special Opening Night program under his direction on Wednesday, September 23, and concludes on Saturday, May 1. The Opening Night program features two acclaimed soloists, Evgeny Kissin performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and the BSO’s world-renowned principal harpist Ann Hobson Pilot, who will retire from the BSO in August 2009, in the world premiere of John Williams’ On Willows and Birches, written specifically for her. Also on the program are Debussy’s La Mer and Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture. This program will be repeated on October 1 as Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night gala. The 2009-10 BSO season is sponsored by UBS.

Highlights of Maestro Levine’s schedule include the complete cycle of nine Beethoven symphonies—a first for Mr. Levine and the BSO—in four consecutive programs in October and November; Strauss’ Four Last Songs and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Renée Fleming; Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah, which has not been performed by the BSO for more than twenty years; a program pairing two great works for chorus and orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms; Schubert’s Great C major symphony; Mahler’s Symphony No. 7; music of Berg, Brahms, and Schubert; and, in keeping with the BSO’s historic reputation for performances of the great French orchestral repertoire, music by Berlioz, Debussy, and Ravel. In addition, Maestro Levine leads a special Pension Fund Concert in March including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and music by Joseph Strauss and Johann Strausses I and II.

Mr. Levine’s 2009-10 programs with the BSO bring four premieres featuring distinguished soloists: the world premiere of John Williams’ On Willows and Birches with BSO harpist Ann Hobson Pilot; the American premiere of Elliott Carter’s Flute Concerto, a BSO co-commission, with BSO principal flute Elizabeth Rowe; the world premiere of a BSO commission by Peter Lieberson, his Farewell Songs featuring the acclaimed Canadian bass-baritone Gerald Finley; and the world premiere of John Harbison’s BSO-commissioned Double Concerto for violin and cello, featuring Mira Wang and Jan Vogler.

Two other BSO co-commissions will also be given American premieres during the 2009-10 season. Former BSO assistant conductor Ludovic Morlot returns for a subscription series including the American premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’ Helios Choros II (Sun God Dancers) in October; and Sir Colin Davis leads the American premiere of James MacMillan’s St. John Passion—a BSO co-commission written at Sir Colin’s request to mark the conductor’s 80th birthday—with the acclaimed English baritone Christopher Maltman and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in January."

Alisa Weilerstein hit the jackpot this time - she will be playing in one of two greatest events of 2008-2009 BSO Season.

This weekend Hans Graf leads BSO with Brahms Double Concerto with Janine Jansen and Alisa Weilerstein. Ms. Weilerstein I think is good for THIS concern and it might be fun. The second part is no less than Bruckner Symphony No. 7 – an absolutely killing program. The day concert will be broadcasted LIVE by WGBH on Friday and by WCRB on Saturday night. I will be going the last concert – next week on Tuesday but frankly speaking if the Friday’s play will good then I would go on Saturday night as well.

Mr. Graf is known as a wine connoisseur, so Hans, show to us a good vintage Austro-German play!

Well, as I said – you never know. I was listing the live Friday WGBH broadcast over internet from my work (very bad quality) and when I got home I listen my recording. The Brahms Double Concerto I did not like, but the Bruckner 7 was very-very good. I did not listen all Bruckner recording but the few fragments convinced me that I need to make a radical step. So I did. I got the best sit in the Symphony Hall for suppose to be “better” Saturday evening concept. Just got back - the better Saturday concept was disappointment.

The Brahms Double Concerto was significantly better then Friday with Janine Jansen screwed much less. The orchestra was more frequently “on time”, even though still too stale. Alisa Weilerstein did not “lead” the play and she had no bolls. They looked together better then they sound, there was some kind of sexist pleasure to watch them but their own near-orgasmic, near diarrhea facial and body expression did not necessary lead to better sound. Do not get me wrong – it was not too bad but it was not great.

Then the Bruckner 7. As much it was promising on Friday as much it was boring on Saturday. The Hans Graf’s expressions were dull and BSO with each new phrase keep insisting that they American’s 10th best orchestra. It was not good play at all. The last movement however Hans Graf somehow woke up the orchestra and then for the first half of the last movement they show up something the kept me at the edge of my sit. Then the BSO collapsed into some strange tiresome atonal cacophony and it was good time to leave.

The only “bright” moment of the whole symphonic experience (besides the first part of the Finale that was the best I ever heard) was an old moment what collapsed in the first row of the first left balcony – right above the fists violin. She passed out with the opening bars of first movement and the Symphony Hall workers afraid to move her resuscitated her right at the balcony. The symphony did not stop, the show much go on… It was unspeakably surreal to have BSO crashing though the Bruckner’s 7 first movement and to have right there a person fighting for her live…

BTW, here is a fragment from today’s last movement where BSO showed some “efforts”.

This is WCRB broadcast – mans huge compression and a lot of noise but even behind that you will see some interesting and atypical for this concert colors.

Generally I do not like what I heard from Mr. Graf. When I was listing my Friday broadcast I was asking myself if my Schwarz and Lavry somehow have eaten my lower bass the BSO did not sound right to me. Sitting at the concert I witnessed the very same “midrangy” underdeveloped sound. Levine gave to BSO deliberate full body bass extension where BSO was able to play out of bass cloud with good fundamental roaring. Under Hans Graf the Levine’s Full Range was not there. You can hardly fine another music other then Bruckner where that mass-roaring would be so necessary. The Bruckner with mass-roaring is not Bruckner but Shubert’s Symphonies - very different music…

On Wednesday, March 25, 8pm, London Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev play in symphony hall. It would be good opportunity to hear “another” orchestra. The program includes Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 and Alexei Volodin leading Beethoven "Emperor" Concerto… It might be interesting

In the longer version it would be like this. Valery Gergiev brought LSO in Boston for a single concert with Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto by Alexi Volodin and with Prokofiev’s Firth Symphony. Volodin make a lot of good noise lately and LSO is not the orchestra to miss what they play a few blocks from my home.

The Emperor Concerto was surprise to me. The people around me were absolutely ecstatic but I did not like it at all. Alexi Volodin demonstrated very secure and very stable play but it was so typical for many today players just a high quality of notes rendering. It had no personality, no statement in the expressions, no expressively in phraseology. Playing pains is like reading poetry out loud - everyone do the same lines but delivery discriminate the message. It felt as Mr. Volodin had no personal messages with his and the play was consequential. To me the ultimate test of a pianist in the Emperor Concerto is the second slow movement. The second movement in ridicules as it is absolutely about nothing. It feels like Beethoven was pulling out of his ass noted just to fill the space between the first and the last movements. The second movement is like the worst Bach partitas composed during pneumonia and heavy fiver. Here is where the mastery of pianist comes to play – to eject life into the meaningless second movement take a bit more than just an ability to play piano well.

The orchestra during the Emperor Concerto surprised me – it was very dull, very dry and sometimes just out of tune. OK, we accustomed to hear it from BSO lately but shall London Symphony demonstrate something different? There was many young people in LSO with a guest concertmaster, I do not know if it was Gergiev’s experimental run but it did not sound as I expected.

After the intermission LSO proceed to Prokofiev’s Firth Symphony. I have to admit that I am not big fun of Prokofiev’s symphonies, I can listen then but I do “get off” with them. His Firth Symphony is the one that I particularly do not appreciate. The celebrated first movement I feel is ridicules. It does not sound symphonic to me but rather as a soundtrack to some kind of another idiotic Hollywood b-movie of “Bravehart”-level, shot to make the M-Way buyer to be able to quote from…

However, behind the misery of the Prokofiev’s music there was some Gergiev’s experience. Nope I did not like the Prokofiev’s First and second movements but it was obvious that Gergiev’s with each bar was getting more and more familiar and comfortable with specifics of Symphony Hall and LSO was gradually picking up. The Third movement the LSO was already there with tone, balance, colors and Gergiev showed off some very sophisticated moments - it was very good. In the movement the LSO and the Symphony Hall already were together and the play was gratifying, even not as smart as during the Third movement. Gergiev ended up the symphony with the Prokofiev’s Lisginka, it was good but overly rhythmical with any desire to inject a “kink” into it. It was good, but might be better.

Great description, Romy, and yet another reason I balk before paying the Astoundingly-Big Ticket Prices they get for the Sure Things. As much as I love it when I Score, I experience the biggest let downs when I get all excited and commit so much going in to hear the Special Orchestra do nothing special.

The worst for me is when they do the "orchestra" part very well and I start out very excited by it; but at some point early on I find that my mind has been wandering; and it never gets better.

IMO, there are only a few orchestras that are good enough, top to bottom, to be able to play almost anything well; and LSO has to be one of them, at any given time. But I really don't suppose that any orchestra can keep it Way Up, night after night; let alone a touring orchestra.

Possibly feeding this syndrome is the fact that it generally does not take all that much from the celebrities to please the crowds. It seems like just being there, in the Right Place with the Right People, is reason enough for most to celebrate.

I have wondered many times over the years if the Visiting Artists, Orchestras, and Conductors generally do better (really better) at the Met or Lincoln Center, or if the well-tuned "critical" machines working those venues are what actually spins the magic that makes us believe, a' la Disney, in the inherent worth of the Visiting Name.

In reality, it's pretty cool that the LSO managed to turn it around like they did; at least you got out of there with something...

I never was a huge fun of this work but today was a WGBH’s live-to-tape broadcast with BSO played under British Mark Wigglesworth with soprano Juliane Banse. The concert was a month ago and I missed it live. To my big surprise I truly did not recognize the BSO - it was like a deferent orchestra – rich, melodic, melodious… sensible!

I never was a huge fun of it. It is an OK symphony and my Barbirolli’s play with London pretty much was all that was enough for me. Today my FM again broke my virginity…

Herbert Blomstedt took James Levine’s place to lead today BSO. The Egmont’ Overture was so-so, kind of lazy ass play.

The Bruch’ Violin Concerto No. 1 with Joshua Bell was wonderful - like anything else Joshua Bell plays. Unfortunately the WGBH did something with signal or with microphones that lead to broadcast some of the sections of orchestra in opposite phase between the channels. I was walking around my playback the whole Egmont and the beginning of Bruch, having no idea what is happening with BSO imaging until I concluded that it was not me. Here is where the glory of WGBH comes to the place. With any other station in Boston they will claim innocents or even hardly understand what the problem is. Not with WGBH! I called to their chief-engineers (it turned out to be his home number!!!) and in 5 seconds he asked me if I have gaps in center image he is really the right person at the right place. He said that he will fix it… and the second past of the concert the problem was gone. How do not respect those people. It is a far cry from the idiot from WHRB who advised me to “move a few feet to right on my couch”.

Then it was Dvorak’ Symphony No. 8, everything besides the few last bars it was a perfect plays… for 20th orchestra in USA. I do not know – might be humid affect them but it was very lethargic.

Then the WGBH to fill the time broadcasted the live-to-tape play of Herbert Blomstedt lead the semi-teenagers staffed Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, recorded a few days before, live on June 29, 2009. That was completely different play and it was absolutely wonderful – blissful, energetic and with willingness and vigor. The Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra with Sibelius’ Second was truly heads and shoulders better then anything BSO did this season so far.

Next week James Levine immerge from his witness protection program, let see where BSO will find itself.

I cant believe this is happening and of all places in New York!! Things sure are getting darker around here. Ive been enjoying the live at the new york philharmonic and metropolitan opera series. I hope they will continue those programs under the new station...